Van trailers can become tankers with a new bulk liquid transport system announced by two Texas companies who say that it will increase trucking and intermodal backhauls and lower shipping costs.
 
TransiTank is a polypropylene bladder sized in accordance with the weight of the liquid being transported to achieve maximum payload capacity, said TTS, LLC, and LemcoStar, LLC. One or more of the bladders fit inside a regular 53-foot dry van to carry food-grade products or non-hazardous chemicals, then after delivery are turned over to recyclers for repurposing.
 
Products that can be carried include base and industrial oils, latex, pharmaceuticals, detergents, biofuels, glycerin, fruit juice, wine and molasses, the companies said.
 
“To give an example of the cost savings with the TransiTank, consider the cost of a food-grade tanker hauling freight from Los Angeles, California to Houston, Texas,” said Jeff Brashares, a senior vice president for sales at TTS.
 
“The transportation cost would end up around $6,000, whereas the total cost of using the TransiTank, including back-haul, would be $3,500. That’s a 58% cost-savings.”

Each TransiTank is designed for a one-time use. One or two tanks can fit into one trailer to make a full load at 5,000 gallons or 46,000 pounds of payload. It should help ease the looming capacity crunch due to driver shortages and Hours of Service restrictions, he said.
 
TransiTank requires no additional equipment except for pumps. The tank passed all road testing, including an inspection from the Department of Transportation, and “stop tests” based on industry standards to ensure bracing was sufficient.
 
In addition, two railroads have tentatively approved the use of the TransiTank in private intermodal equipment operating on their respective lines, and it has been approved by the Association of American Railroads, Brashares claimed.
 
“The TransiTank is constructed to provide a safer, more efficient and cost effective method of transporting bulk liquid products,” said Roger Goose, president and CEO of LemcoStar. “All tanks are constructed within Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point standards from materials that meet FDA, Kosher and Halal requirements.”
 
TTS will take TransiTank to market through a national network of agents, brokers, carriers and clients, Brashares said. They will make the system available to transport organizations, plus provide training for loading and unloading and recycle each tank after use.
 
TTS is a large third-party transportation and logistics provider based in Dallas, Brashares said. It formed a partnership a year ago with LemcoStar, of Houston, which has 40 years’ experience developing bulk liquid transportation systems.